Behind the Headlines

"Inability to store fat safely increases diabetes risk," BBC News reports. Researchers have found links between genetic variations known to affect the storage of fat in the body and type 2 diabetes, as well as heart attacks and strokes…

"Patients are a fifth more likely to die on wards where nurses have been replaced by untrained staff, a major study has found," the Daily Mail reports. This latest research into 243 hospitals across Europe...

"A new four-point test has fine-tuned smell exams to check for Alzheimer's," the Mail Online reports. The testing is based on recognising and then recalling certain distinct smells, such as lemon or menthol…

"A person's chances of falling ill from a new strain of flu are at least partly determined by the first strain they ever encountered, a study suggests," BBC News reports. Researchers created a modelling study, based on historic data…

"Scouts and guides provide 'mental health boost for life'," BBC News reports. A study of adults with a scouting or guiding background found they were less likely to be anxious or depressed in later life…

"Vaping raises likelihood of teenagers starting to smoke, study suggests," The Guardian reports. A study of US teens found those who regularly vaped were more likely to progress to tobacco smoking than their non-vaping peers…

"Scientists say they may have found a way to protect babies in the womb from the harmful effects of Zika," BBC News reports. Researchers have had success using antibody therapy to treat mice when they were still in their mothers' womb…

"Research quantifies genetic damage caused by smoking," the Mail reports, saying a pack a day causes 150 mutations in lung cells. This study analysed the DNA sequence of cells from more than 5,000 cancers...